Polaris Nova

01 / Polaris · Linux host

Linux-only, self-hosted game streaming.That leaves your desktop alone.

Stream games to Nova and Moonlight-compatible clients from an isolated Linux runtime. Polaris keeps launch intent explicit and shows the real capture path instead of making you reverse-engineer it from logs.

Download Polaris Read the quick start
  • Linux only
  • Local first
  • GPLv3 open source
Polaris Mission Control showing Linux host and stream status

The host model

Your desktop is not disposable.

Traditional Linux hosts often treat mode switches, broken layouts, portal prompts, and post-session cleanup as your problem. Polaris takes the game out of your desktop instead of taking your desktop away from you.

  1. 01

    Isolated by default

    Private Headless Stream launches games inside a dedicated compositor instead of rearranging your KDE, GNOME, or wlroots desktop.

  2. 02

    Runtime truth, not vibes

    Mission Control exposes the active runtime, capture path, encoder, clients, stream health, and host actions in one cockpit.

  3. 03

    GPU-aware capture

    Polaris prefers GPU-native paths when the hardware supports them and reports the real fallback when it does not.

Launch intent

One host. Three honest launch modes.

“Play” can mean very different things on a Linux machine. Polaris names the choice before it changes the host.

  1. 01Recommended

    Private Headless Stream

    Launch into the isolated Polaris runtime. Your physical displays and desktop layout stay out of the blast radius.

  2. 02When available

    Host Virtual Display

    Use a separate display-like host path when you want display semantics without taking over a physical monitor.

  3. 03Deliberate choice

    Mirror Desktop

    Stream the existing host session only when seeing or controlling the real desktop is exactly what you intend.

Linux is the product

Built for Linux. Full stop.

Polaris is not a cross-platform host with a Linux checkbox. Fedora and Arch are the strongest package paths, Wayland is treated as a first-class runtime, and NVIDIA plus AMD capture paths stay visible instead of being flattened into a generic “works here” badge.

Read the compatibility matrix

HOST SUPPORT / CURRENT

  • RecommendedFedora 42 / 43 / 44 · Arch Linux · CachyOS
  • Tester pathsBazzite · Ubuntu 24.04
  • Build from sourceopenSUSE Tumbleweed · other Linux distributions

Linux-only by design. Windows and macOS host ports are not on the roadmap.

Your host, your keys

No cloud account between you and your game.

Pairing keys, permissions, library state, stream settings, and web credentials live on your host. Core streaming stays direct. Optional AI tuning uses only the provider you choose—including a local endpoint—or remains off.

Ready when your Linux box is

Start private. Stay in control.

Install a release package, run the host setup once, and pair Nova or the Moonlight-compatible client you already use.

Get the latest release Ask the community